How to Shut Off Your Nest Thermostats Seasonal Savings Program

Smart thermostats are gaining in popularity as more and more homeowners seek out ways to reduce their energy bills. These accessories can be programmed to conveniently regulate the temperature of your home based on your day-to-day schedule. They also have the ability to memorize any preferences over time. For this reason, you can spend less on your energy bills by seeing to it that your HVAC system is only on when you need it.

Google’s smart thermostat is the Nest, and many homeowners are content with its features and overall efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–is making trouble instead of improving your HVAC system. Consistent issues are pushing homeowners to research how to shut off this feature. We’ll present the problems some people are having with Seasonal Savings and include instructions for how to opt out of the feature.

Many Homeowners Allege the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Correctly

Google designed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners enhance their energy efficiency. During the highest HVAC use in the summer and winter, it should automatically adjust the thermostat to balance your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is supposed to run without getting in the way of your sense of comfort, implementing the biggest changes when you’re away or in bed. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for numerous people enrolled in the program.

In fact, there are accounts that the program is inconsistent and frustrating to use. Homeowners are complaining that the program is even increasing their energy bills instead of shrinking them. And when they decide to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve discovered the option to do so is difficult to find or entirely absent. In various cases people have even noted it being flipped back on after it was disabled.

Smart thermostats are intended to increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling. While automatic temperature corrections are a widespread feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t override your desired settings. If the Nest refuses to accommodate your comfort preferences, disabling the Seasonal Savings feature is the right move.

But First, Why Is This A Problem?

Homeowners are concerned that the Seasonal Savings feature was running on their Nest thermostat without their authorization. Why should a smart thermostat you command dismiss your settings and opt in for the program? It might be because of an energy-efficiency agreement you subscribed to with your utility company.

These agreements help you improve your home’s energy efficiency. They may feature rebates on new products or special offers for renewable energy systems. But most people are shocked to find out they also permit your utility company remote access to your thermostat. If the power grid is struggling with a heavy load, the utility company can override your thermostat and raise the temperature. You might be having issues with the Seasonal Savings program because a utility company is making use of this remote access.

But what if the setting is faulty or just ignoring your preferences? Whatever the reason could be, you don’t want a feature to double your energy use without your consent. We’ll review how other homeowners have turned off the Seasonal Savings program.

How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature

A number of people have disclosed trouble shutting off the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting might be different according to your specific Nest model, other users are alarmed that Google is intentionally making it tougher to opt out of Seasonal Savings. To make sure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll list the ways other users have had success.

1. 1. Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually adjusting the temperature should override the Seasonal Savings program, but quite a few users have found this isn’t what’s happening. If you note your Nest persistently ignoring your changes, you’ll probably opt to disable the feature outright.

2. 2. Opting out of the setting from the Nest app: Your phone or tablet’s Nest app is supposed to have a History option and a Settings option. Google directs users to their History to switch off Seasonal Savings, but other people have located this option under Settings. Once disabled, the program is temporarily off until the subsequent summer or winter.

3. 3. Shutting off the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also feature a History option where you can opt out of Seasonal Savings, but some homeowners claim the disable option is absent.

4. 4. Opting out before the program starts: The Seasonal Savings program is only available in summer and winter. Your smart device will get a notification when the program is about to launch, giving you the chance to opt out.

When Seasonal Savings is engaged, your Nest is supposed to show a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If a Nest is having issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is missing, your predicament might be with yet another setting entirely.

Sometimes the Source Isn’t Seasonal Savings but a Different Setting or Program

Additional settings on Nest smart thermostats apart from Seasonal Savings can cause automatic temperature changes. If these options are active during Seasonal Savings, even opting out of the program may not stop the thermostat from making alterations. Luckily, these settings can be switched off. You’ll also have options if the issue is a third party like a power company.

5. 5. Turning off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both extend the Auto-Schedule feature, using their ability to learn your preferences to establish the ideal schedule. Going into Settings and shutting off Auto-Schedule should stop other automatic adjustments such as Seasonal Savings.

1. 1. Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats can still flip to eco temperatures if you have an auto-switching feature like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These features automatically change the temperature when the thermostat detects that the house is empty.

6. 6. Opting out of the utility company’s energy agreement: Because your energy provider could be remotely controlling the Nest thermostat, negating the agreement should remove their access. You can obtain the full details of these agreements via your energy provider.

7. 7. Contacting Google support: If all else fails, contacting Google’s technical support could be of service. Staff can guide you to resetting the Nest or locating the proper setting to switch off Seasonal Savings.

If the Problem Continues, Your Thermostat May Be Faulty

There’s always the chance your Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical issues or software glitches can trigger all sorts of problems, including an aggravating Seasonal Savings program. If you suspect the problem is isolated to your specific thermostat, an experienced technician may be able to help. After all, smart thermostats are still a worthwhile investment for your home’s energy efficiency.

If you’d like local assistance for your smart thermostat in the U.S., contact the comfort specialists at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. They can help you figure out the ideal way to shut off a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.